Valve.



F. D. BOWEN I S. T. CLUTTER VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED IBB. 3, 1914.

1,1 1 9,060, Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

j 13./ MG Memup FREDRICK D. BOWEN SAMUEL T. CLTJ'T'lIEllR.,v 0F MONETT, MISSOURI.

VALVE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

- Patented D ec. 1, 1914..v

Application filed February 3, 1914. Serial No. 816,217,

To whom it may concern Be it known that we, FREDRIGK D. BOWEN and SAMUEL T. CLUTTER, citizens of the UnitedStates, residing at Monett, in they county of Barry and State of Missouri,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves, of which the following is a specification, reference being had `therein to the accompanying drawing. The invention relates to improvements in valves and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved valve construction designed more especially for use in connection with gas heating and lighting systems, and adapted to permit a free distribution of gas or other fluid when the pressure in the systeln is maintained up to the normal or predetermined degree. and capable, should the pressure diminish, of automatically closing and entirelycutting and of remaining in closed position until manually reset,'whereby the escape of` gas at the burners and other appliances resulting from the irregular supply of gas to the system will be prevented.

The invention also aims to provide an l improved safety device of this nature, which will be simple and inex ensive in constiuction, ellicient in use an adapted to be conveniently connected to tems orY the like-' The invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, 'and illustraties ce@ erebodimenbof the invention. v

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view, Fig. 2 is a` longitudinal section taken .on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing in full lines the valve in closed position and indi eating in dotted lines the valve in open position, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the directlon of the arrow.

Referring to the drawing in detail, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which like reference characters designate corresponding. parts throughout the several views, 1 designates a casing divided by a substantially horlzontal partition wall 2 into an upper chamber 3 and a lower chamber 4.

' 5 designates a tubular inlet leading to the upper chamber 3 and 6 a tubular outlet gas4 distributing sysleading from the. lower chamber 4, said inlet and outlet being shown in the drawings. as integral extensions of the casing, an

.opening 7 being provided in the partition v Wall 2 to afford -a passage for the gas'or other fluid from the upper to the lower chamber. The tubular inlet 5 is inwardly extended to form with the partition wall 2 an inner guide 8 for a reciprocatingvalve 9. The valve is shown in the drawing as substantially cylindrical in shape with a flattened upper face which `is adapted to engage the upper wall 9 of the valve guide 8, said upper wall being correspondingly Hattened, this'construction serving to pre- -vent the valve from turning. The valve,

which is preferably hollow and constructed of aluminum has a reduced tapered. outer portion 10, and a valve seat is provided by a bushing l1 fitted within and in threaded engagement with the tubular inlet 5, said bushing being interio-rly tapered to correspond with the tapered portion 10 of the valve, the valve being adapted to coact with the `seat to out olf communication between the inlet 5 and the outlet 6'. l A gasket of rubber or other 4suitable material `is interposed between the inner end of the bushing and an inwardly extending angular shoulder 12, to provide a gas tight joint between the bushing and the wallof the inlet. A coiled spring l13 acts to force the valve tot itsv seat, said spring being positioned with one end bearing against the rear end of the valve audits other end in engagement with a relatively fixed part lll'carried at the forward end of an adjusting screw 15 which is mounted in a threaded opening in the wall of the casing, the outer end of the screw extending to the exterior of the casing and having a suitable adjusting head. The adjusting screw 15 serves to vary the tension of the spring, a lock nut 16 adapted to clamp vagainst the outer wall of the casing being provided to maintain the screw in adjusted position. l

The valve is adapted to be held open by the gas flowing in the inlet 5 acting in opposition to the force of the spring, the latter operating to force the valve to its seat when the fluid pressure drops below normal or that for which the valve. v l

An important feature of theinvention resides in the provision vof automatic means the spring is set to closev to lock the valve in its closed position to prevent the opening of the valve by subse' quent increase in the gas pressure, so that in the event that lighted burners or the like become extinguished due to uctuations in the gas pressure, escape of gas from lthe burners will be prevented, the valve being maintained in closed position until the automatic locking means is released by an 'attendant.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the automatic locking means comprises a gravity latch 17 pivotally connected intermediate its ends between ears18 on the under side of the top 19 of the casing. The forward end of the latch 17 is formed to engage the flat upper face 9 of the valve and to coperate with a shoulder 20 at the upper side of the valve 9 and, in the open position of the valve, rests against the upper flat face thereof in advance of the shoulder 20. When the Valve moves to its closed position the end 17 of the latch drops by gravity behind the shoulder 20 and securely locks the valve in its closed position. In order to move the latch out of engagement with the valve to release or reset the valve, we provide a push pin or rod 21 arranged to work through an opening 22 in the top of the casing. -The rod, which is supported by a coiled spring 23 arranged in a housing 23 on the top 19 of the casing and engaging a I collar 24 on the rod,is adapted vto be depressed to engage and force the inner end 25 of the latch downwardly and swing the forward upper end of the same upwardly out of engagement with the shoulder 20. The rod is provided at its u per end with a suitable push button 26. xlJhe top 19 of the casing is removably secured in place in an suitable manner so that ready access is a forded to the interior of the casing.

Any suitable means may be employed to connect our improved safety device with the gas distributing system.

In the drawings the tubular inlet 5 and the tubular outlet 6 is shown interiorly screw vthreaded so that the usual threaded union with the pipe sections of the system can be made.

It will be understood that the drawings illustrate a -preferred embodiment of the invention and that minor changes in this particular construction and arrangement of parts may be made, within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the nature or principle of the invention.

What we claimis:

1. A safety device including a casing,"

having an inlet and an outlet, .said casing having a dividing wall separating the same into upper and lower compartments, the

upper compartment being provided with a flattened inwardly extending valve guide, a reciprocating valve adapted to slide in the said guide, a valveseat, and an automatic FREDRICK D. BOWEN. SAMUEL T.- CLUTTER.

'Witnessesz J. W. HAGAN, G. C. PJLANT. 

